Fresh Water Treatment Systems ltd.

Compressor Instructions

Compressors from FRESH WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS LTD (FWTS LTD.) are very good quality units that produce medical grade, oil-less, air that are excellent for a variety of other applications but are particularly well suited for use as the air supply for pond, lake, river, ice fishing or aquaculture aeration systems.  Since there is no oil in these compressors they can’t pollute a water body with oil contaminated blowby.  Oil vapour doesn’t block the oxygen transfer between air bubbles rising up through the water. Oil doesn’t combine with condensation in aeration feeder lines or diffusers to create food for bacteria that cause bio-fouling resulting in compromised efficiency or plugging.

 

 

GSE Air Compressor

GSE compressors

These units are supplied as “OEM” units. This means that you as the builder of the aeration system from components supplied by FWTSLTD. are an ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER.  As an OE Manufacturer, you are responsible for the wiring, to accepted standards, of the compressors either by installing a grounded power cord with a 3 prong plug   or by hard wiring to a power supply through a control device such as a timer, photo sensor, temperature sensor or conventional switch.

 

WIRING INSTRUCTIONS

Wiring the compressors to a control device or cord has been made very simple and in fact there is a small diagram on the manufacturer’s technical information label with the information.  On the diagram the black wires are shown going to the electric symbol for a capacitor. In addition to this information both the wires coming from the capacitor that is supplied with the compressor and the compressor itself have the appropriate wires fitted with wire connectors so that even if you don’t understand the symbols, it is very clear that the black compressor wires are to be connected to the capacitor’s wires.

 

The second part of the diagram describes the blue and brown wires that come from the compressor  going to be connected to the symbol for the 120 volt AC 60Hz power supply.  The diagram does not differentiate between the black, live wire and the white, neutral wire so the blue and brown compressor wires may be connected to either of the black or white power supply or power cord wires. Please ensure that the power cord or electrical supply wires are as thick or thicker than the blue and brown wires coming from the compressor so that possibility of the compressor being damaged by insufficient electricity being delivered, or a wire that is too thin becoming heated,  is eliminated. Use industry accepted connectors to connect the wires.

 

The green or bare ground wire should be firmly attached to the body of the compressor to ensure that it is effectively grounded.

 

Capacitors are usually trouble free for the life of the compressor’s motor but any capacitor can be damaged by three things. These are excessive heat, vibration and power surges in the electrical supply.  They may be attached to the compressor but most OE manufacturers instead will attach them to the wall or floor of the compressor’s shelter in such a manner that they are not subject to heat or vibration and are easy to remove when the compressor requires service. If you live in an area that experiences power surges or brownouts, plugging the unit into an anti-surge protection bar may have value.  Power wires or cord must be stabilized or firmly attached to the body of the compressor to ensure that any physical tension that might be transmitted to the compressor through the cord or wire will not compromise any of the connections that have been made.


 

Filters

The filters supplied with these compressors are Solberg Model FS-05-025 units that are supplied with an extra washable Model 05 polystyrene filter element. Check the element monthly and either dust the element off or exchange it out and wash and dry it. The compressor comes with a brass nipple threaded into the air intake. If the compressor is in an excessively dusty environment a piece of braid reinforced hoe may be extended up out of the ground clutter and the filter attached to it.

 

 

Mounting

These compressors should NEVER be mounted solidly to a base.  If multiple compressors are mounted to the same base the vibrations from one to another will cause them to wear out prematurely.  Multiple compressors should be mounted with true isolastic suspension to prevent this.  It is acceptable for single unit systems to be simply set on a piece of stiff foam material such as a mouse pad, provided that they are level enough that they do not tend to travel.